The Fall for the Book Festival at George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia, has chosen Stephen King as the 2011 recipient of the Mason Award for his “extraordinary contributions to bringing literature to a wide reading public.” He’ll receive the award at a ceremony on September 23, 2011, with a limited book signing following the event.

King is the author of more than 50 worldwide bestsellers, and his career has spanned nearly five decades, from his debut novel “Carrie,” to his up-coming novel “11/22/63? due to be released November 8th.